Disguise
by Uchiha Yumi
Summary: What happens when hunting a man, it turns out he is the one hunting you? Itaten [ItaTen]
1. Prologue

**Author:** Uchiha Yumi

**Title: **Disguise

**Genre:** General, Angst

**Summary: **What does it happen when, stalking a man, you understand he is the one hunting you down? ItaTen

**Rating:** PG13

**Parings**: Itachi x Tenten

**Main Characters: ** Uchiha Itachi, Tenten

**Special thanks:** A special thank to Lilya-chan and FunnyNeko, for reading and correcting all of my nasty stuff.

**Notes:** English is not my native tongue, so please, tell me about my mistakes!

Here I am!

As if "Uncovered" and my four or three one-shots weren't enough yet, I decided to send my new work.

Yes, it actually is one of the rare Itachi and Tenten stories on the net. I wrote it for a wonderful challenge given me by Kawaii Eyez. She was so kind she even decided to edit it for me, since English is not my native tongue.

Please, let me know what you think about it.

Genre may change, since I'm actually finishing chapter two.

I hope I can update soon. You know, I have a lot of other works to think about, right now…

DEDICATED TO MY WONDERFUL KAI!

**DISGUISE**

PROLOGUE: The mission.

Seven o'clock pm.

The dim light of the setting sun cast his last beams on the dark forest, blending with the shapeless shadows of the leaves and bushes. It was the picture perfect moment of the day. The moment in which the blue of the sky melts with the bright red and delicate pink streaked across the nightly clouds and the sun, flaring as a beautiful ball of fire beyond the line of horizon surrenders to the pale, silver moon, allowing her to reign over the stars until the new challenge of the dawn.

Tenten sighed, finally averting her gaze from the heavens and focusing again on her intricate way through the woods. With a scowl, she resumed her inspection along those ungodly places.

She felt somewhat nervous. And worse was that she probably didn't even know why.

The 20-year-old had now become quite the kunoichi – this was perfect as she had never been the emotional type of woman. Feelings and professionalism were two distinct things and mixing them together would only cause you to lose in both areas.

It wasn't even her first assignment as an ANBU member and neither her first task checking the surroundings of their camp.

So, why was she feeling uncomfortable? It was just a simple mission; perfectly identical to any other mission she previously carried on. Except for a couple of small, insignificant details.

It actually was her first time not being assigned to Hyuuga-taichou's team.

Not that she was uneasy with the others, given that she knew them since she graduated at the Academy. But, truth to be told, the bond with Hyuuga Neji, after so many years in group with him, surely was stronger than with anyone else.

The second detail concerned the kind of mission. Usually ANBU's duties are related to spying services or secret retrievals – as the big one organized to take back that Uchiha-Sasuke-asshole, now probably lost in the depth of some hideous hideout. Not that she particularly missed him, after all he had done.

Anyway, this operation was her first ever as an assassin. She wasn't a novice, since she was a kunoichi, but every other time she happened to take someone's life off, it had all been by pure chance.

Kill or die.

And she usually chose the first one, obviously.

This time was different though. She had been _sent_ to kill a man.

A man she didn't know, except for his famous – or, rather _infamous_ – name.

A man she had never seen, except in the few photographs hanging in Tsunade-sama's office.

However, the crimes this man was charged of, were known all over Konoha – and probably outside, too.

Before leaving the Village, she had had a quick look to the fifty-pages-report concerning that man.

S-ranked criminal, as many others. Obviously a murderer and somehow, a mentally-twisted man. His self-control and confidence were after ten years, something very near to a legend. And nonetheless, for this plain and probably futile motivation, he was still considered the greatest ninja Konoha had ever had and little kids still wanted to follow his example.

'_Idiots'_

Anyway, in her own opinion, except for the fact he had killed an entire clan – by the way, his _own _clan – this man, Uchiha Itachi had really nothing special.

The only thing that, perhaps, startled her was the slowness of Godaime's measures.

Ten years before, he had killed the whole Uchiha clan – except for his brother – and all that the ANBU were ordered to do, was to keep him as far as possible from the village if he ever wanted to come back.

It was true that after having lost half of the policemen and some good shinobis in a sole, dreadful night, Sarutobi-Sandaime had probably had better problems to care about, but letting that man simply go, had really been stupid. On the other hand, the same had happened with Orochimaru.

Three years after that, Uchiha Itachi showed up again – like a nasty, plaguing illness – with that Kyuubi-stuff and the wonderful idea of kidnapping Naruto. And what did the Godaime do when she accepted her position? Nothing. Ok, they were just out of a war and their pride had been utterly destroyed – as half of the buildings in the village.

But it hade been not very smart of her, since that man had already turned out to be more dangerous than they ever believed and he had a knack for performing tricks on members of their village.

However, the following years had passed quite smoothly, except for a couple of attempts by Akatsuki's members to try and take possession of the Kyuubi or to ruin the Village's projects – both amply repelled with a huge amount of Shinobi's blood.

Then, there had been that stupid internal war between Akatsuki and Orochimaru's followers.

Fair enough, if they would have killed among each others. Less preoccupations for the villagers.

The point was that after those events, the Akatsuki had been dispelled and all the members began to work on their own – and for their _own_ purposes, which it meant a bigger risk to get attacked.

But, if Tsunade-sama had not taken some proper measures for heavier situations, why did she choose the most skilled ANBU to kill him _now_?

Who knows? Maybe there were some delicate, diplomatic balances she wasn't aware of.

Whatever the reasons could have been, the fact was that they had been actually chasing him for three days. And since they were brave but not stupid, they used to scan the area where they were supposed to sleep, just to make sure that their "beloved hounded" was near enough to continue the chasing until they would find a safer place to fight, and far enough not to attack them in the middle of the night.

The sun had finally set, making the forest sink in complete darkness.

Tenten had nothing to refer to, except for the sound of her own steps cracking on rotten wood and foliage. It had been an hour since she left their camp, so she had to have scanned at least six or seven kilometres of unknown trees and wild bushes.

'_Enough'_ she thought, throwing a last, lazy gaze to her surroundings.

Nothing strange to notice.

With a last sigh, she turned, ready to jump on a branch and have her way back to join the others for a never-so-deserved rest. But as she reached a nearby bough, something unusual hit her mind.

In fact, even if it blended with the background noises of chirping birds and blowing wind, her excellent sense of hearing, immediately caught _something else_.

As if something was cracking and…well, flaring.

Just a few seconds later, a strange smell of burning wood confirmed her brilliant intuition.

'_Maybe some kids decided to camp here'_ she pondered _'If so, I'd better find them before **he** does'_

She waited some long moments, her breath as low and silent as possible, not to attract the attention of someone _really_ unwanted. However, from that position, her sight was quite limited.

'_Ok, let's try to get to another tree'_

But, as soon as she turned her gaze to look for a more appropriate site of observation, her eyes caught a glimpse of two bloody, black-stained irises.

Or, rather, two bloody, black-stained irises caught a glimpse of the horrified expression painted on Tenten's face as she realized that _someone_ was actually sitting on her same branch, a wicked smile on his ashen face – and she didn't even notice.

She automatically drew back, but her shoulders just hit against the hard trunk of the tree.

The man – for she was pretty sure that figure had to be a man – tilted his head to the side and leaned a bit forward, frowning.

"Has no one ever told you it's impolite to spy?" a male, toneless voice whispered into her ear.

Tenten's eyes widened and a gasp was stolen from her lips as a solitaire moonbeam enlightened his scratched forehead protector…

Konoha's leaf was in the middle, a deep slash cutting the symbol in two…


	2. When the sheep becomes the wolf

Here I am!

Heya, actually you made me reach 10 reviews for just 130 hits…WOW! I'm so flattered!

Thanks a lot. Uh-hu... Are you willing to make me reach 20 rews and 230 hits? You know, your rews are the thing that makes me want to go on writing - and that makes me write faster and sooner.

The samegoes for "Uncovered". I'm sorry, maybe this week I'll have to skip the "regular updating", because my beta - my wonderful beta - is busy.

About "Disguise", I actually stopped at chap 2.

I'm a bit busy, so probably next chapter will be posted a bit later.

But maybe your rews will make a miracle...

Yumi.

**CHAPTER ONE: When the sheep becomes the wolf.**

'_Uchiha Itachi'_ Tenten's mind simply stated, frowning _'so this is how the "great man" looks like'_

Not that the utter obscurity allowed her to see much, anyway, except for a pair of bright, red eyes.

His hair was long and tied in a ponytail, some rebellious locks lingering about his forehead.

His features were harmonic and, as the blue clouds opened to reveal a black, starry sky, the pale light of the silver moon surrounded him with a strange aura of gloominess.

He seemed to be unreal.

Unreal as the legends she heard about him.

'_Unreal as a scary, fluttering ghost.'_

But, in any case, that wasn't the most proper moment to indulge in her speculations.

Her position surely wasn't comfortable: pinned against a trunk by Uchiha Itachi and without any chance to fight him directly on the spot. And her three team-members were now too far to come and help her. The only rational thing, then, would have been to force him to chase her back to her camp. There, they would have had better chances to kill him.

But how? Even if she managed to get off that tree, who assured her he would have followed?

She had to deal with his intelligence – which, matter-of-factly, was undeniable. There was a high possibility he already knew he had been stalked for days and he might also be prepared to counter their attacks.

As her mind was slowly sinking in finding a logical solution to that illogical problem, she was suddenly brought to reality.

Itachi's hand, in fact, slowly stretched out to reach her bosom. She immediately and instinctively pulled away, but she ended up hitting the wood once again.

Then, her fingers went to her kunai-holster, but she only managed to get his hand on hers – and obviously, to be immobilized.

' _The end'_ she suddenly thought as he smiled evilly, locking his bloody gaze on hers.

Then his free hand moved once again towards her. She just turned her head to the side, her features not showing a single clue of tension and fear.

But he didn't attack, nor touch her.

Tenten slowly turned back, her brown eyes intently staring at his ever single movement.

'_What?'_

His fingers were curled around the side of her ANBU mask. She had just taken it off when her team had reached the clearing and now the wooden cover was hanging around her neck. He seemed to stare at it with some interest.

"It's been a long time since I last saw this mask" he said, his mouth lingering opened for a moment before going on "So, you're in the ANBU, right?"

Tenten just swallowed, her mind suddenly splitting in two. Should she answer and try to distract him? Should she keep silent and wait for further moves? She really didn't know.

And the dullness of that question, surely didn't help her to solve her indecisions.

Wasn't it obvious? It was mathematical: she had the mask, so she had to be an ANBU, right?

'_And you really think rationality is something to that man?'_ she internally scolded herself.

But, once again, her ideas and speculations were silenced by his voice.

"A beautiful girl joining the ANBU" he stated, a last caress to her wooden mask "How unfair…" he paused for a long moment, smirking "By the way I would really like to know the reasons why you all stalked me for so many days. But…" His smirk broadened "You would surely think it's another stupid question, just like the previous one, wouldn't you?"

Tenten's mouth hung open.

"H-how did you…?" she found herself speaking without even being aware of it.

"Uhmmmm….interesting" he went on, his left hand moving up the chin of a completely startled Tenten "you actually seem to know how to talk…Anyway, weren't you asking something like "How did you manage to read my mind?"?" he added, moving a bit closer to her.

Tenten's head nodded without her approval.

Why was she reacting like that? It was…unbelievable! Instead of looking for a way to escape or call up her team-mates, she was just letting him play with her – and she wasn't even able to control her own feelings!

"People seem not to understand the real meaning of the Sharingan" he replied to 'his own question' "Maybe because they're not used to deal with it anymore, since my past…" he stopped, looking for the proper word to convey his ideas "… 'actions'- and since my brother's betrayal, I guess."

'_So he DOES know'_ was the first thing that passed through her mind.

And, considering the angry glint that sparkled into her brown eyes, she shouldn't have been so proud of such a trivial statement.

"So what?" Tenten's voice spread in the nightly air with a trembling tone she had never heard before. She cleared her throat, shaking her head a little "I'm not afraid of you" she added forcing her eyes into a quite unnatural glare.

Uchiha Itachi couldn't help but chuckling a bit "What's with that scowl? It doesn't fit your angelic face, _Tenten_"

As her own name was whispered by his lips, an insane tremor she couldn't explain, shook her entire body, causing her hit the wood again.

How did he know?

She never mentioned her name and, when they were stalking him, they usually referred to the others team-members using some nicknames.

But, a low, murmuring voice in the back of her head suggested her the real reasons for such a reaction were to be searched in his hissing, dreamlike voice.

And those eyes…She never thought they would have looked like _that_.

Even if she sparred with Uchiha Sasuke a couple of times, his red, powerful Sharingan surely amazed her, but never made her felt so…uneasy.

But, darkness changes everything and night is a beautiful, velvety blanket that covers every single object. And, looking into his bloody eyes, Tenten clearly felt that, if he ever wanted to, he could have been everything.

The images of an innocent sheep turning into a blood-seeking wolf, hit her mind feverishly, painting with the colours of fear and blood, a scary picture she had never wished to see.

'_No way…it's just a man…a man like any other…'_

His thin lips curled into a wicked smile "You're surprised, aren't you?" he leaned forward to brush his nose on hers "I actually know a lot about you more than you'll ever imagine…"


	3. Revealed Secrets

HERE I AM!

Did you miss me? ' Ok, I guess not, but… What did I tell you? Your reviews made a miracle and I finished chapter 3! YAY!

Now I just miss the epilogue – I guess I'll update in 10 days or so.

But I'm thinking to write a sequel, too….Would you like it? Let me know!

THANKS A LOT! I RECEIVED 21 REVIEWS AND OVER 450 HITS! YAY! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH, KEEP IT UP!

bows

Still dedicated to my special Kai.

**CHAPTER TWO: Revealed Secrets.**

A/N: I had to make up a "secret" past for Tenten!

The pale moon just kept on throwing her eerie beams on the forest, some rare, dark clouds passing by from time to time. That flashing, inconstant light reflected on Uchiha Itachi's forehead-protector, making that deep, regular slash look like bleeding.

Tenten's skin was now pale and sweated, those small little droplets sinisterly sparkling in that obscure atmosphere. A strange halo of white flashed around her head and on her silky hair as she slowly lowered her gaze.

"I actually know about you more things than you'll ever imagine." He had said, leaning towards her.

And Tenten just felt violated.

A stranger, a criminal, a dirty traitor whose hands had been stained with the blood of hundreds of people, actually knew her name and was able to read her thoughts and predict her mind.

It was scary.

Scary and spellbinding, as a beautiful, fascinating storm. You want to touch it, to feel if that crushing and pouring rain is falling for real, or it's just your sick imagination.

But you know you can't. Or you'll get wet.

Then, as the flashing image of a thunder breaking the perfection of a blue, nightly sky slowly made its way through her weakening mind – making her gasp and shift uncomfortably, he spoke again.

"Let me see…" he said "and correct me if my memory fails" the hand that was still holding her wrist tightened the grip "Tenten…now you should be one year older than my brother, right? You should be 20, am I right?"

Her eyes were just harmlessly staring at his moving lips, that harmonic, regular movement catching her whole attention. She didn't want to, but she just nodded.

"Very well, then…Your parents, Eiko and Izumi, were both ninjas from the Hidden Leaf and both were pretty feared and skilled ANBU members. They really were very cautious not to make their identity completely known, so they decided to hide their surname and not to give you one, either. Am I correct?"

Tenten's gaze widened even more.

How? How was it possible?

For so many years her life, she struggled not to make anyone know about the true identity of her family – except for the Hokage and the ANBU corps.

And the same did her parents.

They didn't want the enemies to get their revenge on her and…

On _him._

Her lips just parted in a helpless motion, no words coming to aid her to express all her astonishment.

Itachi smirked "Until they got married and they had _him_…" he paused, attentively studying her worried reactions "You know what I mean, don't you? Your brother, Arashi. At the time your mother decided to quit her work to look after him…Right? Then, four years later, they had you.

They were so happy, they had two beautiful children to raise up as two good, attentive soldiers of the Hidden Leaf. But your brother never wanted to be a Shinobi and just left the village when you were about 7, right? He got protected by your parents not to get captured and killed as a traitor. But, in return of this huge favour the Hokage obliged them to quit being ANBU members…Did I miss something, _Tenten-san_?" he added, spelling and hissing her name into her ear.

She was now trembling. Her body was shook by a rapid series of intense vibrations, her bosom excitedly going up and down as her breath suddenly became huffed and fatigued.

It was impossible.

No way! No way in hell he could actually know it for real!

She never told anyone about her older brother! Not even to Gai-sensei or to her best-friend, Neji. Not even to Hinata or Sakura, or her other confidants. That secret had always been locked in the depths of her heart and among the few members of her family.

'_I-it's impossible…'_ she managed to think _'he is just guessing, Tenten. It's just luck…don't worry, he MUST be guessing, right?'_

A hoarse, rough laugh filled the air as Itachi's finger brushed against her nose and then travelled down her lips, lingering for a long moment about that softness. His bloody, wicked eyes were directly staring into her brown, widened ones.

He smiled, mischievously tilting his head to the side and biting his own lower lip, as he sighed deeply, arranging a handful of brown lock backwards to have better access to her ear "I'm not just guessing, Tenten" he said, his tone dangerously low and evil "I know it _for real_"

As his hot, warming breath cuddled her soft skin, every single resolution about him being a normal man, got crushed as frail, plain glass.

Tenten shivered, just a childlike wail escaping through her parted lips, blended with the irregular sound of her huffed breath.

' _Trembling and panting. Good job, Tenten! You surely are a perfect kunoichi by every meaning...'_ a mocking voice whispered in the back of her mind.

But, given the circumstances, her rational self certainly now was at a terrible loss.

A spiralling knot of doubts was racing into her emptied head.

How? When? Where? Why?

She couldn't possibly know.

Now, all she really was aware of, was the unreality of the situation she had been caught in and the vague tremor that was still troubling her limbs.

She would have like to ask, to inquire, to vanquish all the insecurities about that man, but, somehow she couldn't.

Tenten, 20-years-old kunoichi, experienced and rational ANBU member, absolute queen of "weapons' use" had actually been psychologically defeated by a man she had never seen before.

No matter he was Uchiha Itachi – or, better still, the _fearsome, bloody, magnificent Uchiha-Itachi-of-the-legends_. She had never given a damn about him and all the rumours about his behaviour and actions, since she had never feared something – or someone – until she experienced it.

It reminded her a lot of when she was young and just graduated from the Academy.

At that time, she had been chosen to be Hyuuga Neji's mate, and, for the first time in her entire life, she found out how awesomely powerful his bloodline was. He was always so gracious, every single movement of his body directed to accomplish the perfection of his touch-less attacks.

She had been astonished, scared, spellbound.

But, as time slowly passed by, she came to learn how to deal with such "magnificence", how to muffle every single gasp every time his incredible sight caught something she could never spot.

And now, she almost felt the same, her fragile ego secretly captured and hypnotized by Itachi's hugeness. She could feel it clearly, seeping through every cell of his being.

But, the point was she didn't have time to get acquainted with it, now.

So, all she really could do, was staring at him, eyes widened in shock as her lungs desperately gasped for air and her hands trembled.

Itachi's hand loosened the grip around her wrist and leisurely travelled up her body, pausing about her neck. With a smirk he removed her mask, soundlessly tossing it on the ground.

Tenten powerlessly stared at the white object landing somewhere in the darkness.

'_As a dying, white, dove…'_

She couldn't help but thinking that, now that her last shield, the sign of her acquired strength was definitely gone, she felt completely bare to his merciless touch.


	4. Shattered

HEYAZ!

Never mind, I'm quite happy. So, a lil' news about this work:

34, wonderful reviews.

Over 850 hits.

The Epilogue is almost done (hopefully) and a sequel (if you'll tell me the story is worth enough) half in my mind.

Now, this is my LONGEST chapter ever in English. I hope you're going to like it. Maybe you'll have to wait a bit more for my next update, the Epilogue, since I'm not very happy of the result and stuff.

Dedications:

**To "Mornings Light"** for her review was my longest ever and she told me wonderful things!

**To "Tenshi no Jigaku"** for she sent me two replies in one day and liked my version of Tenten's past.

**To "scorpion05",** for she noticed the "Sexual tension". ;P

Now, I want to say a bit more about my only anonymous reviewer, **"Star".** Really, I LOVED his/her reviews and, since I reply to almost all my reviewers, as much as I can, I'm SORRY for I can't reply to his/hers! So, I just want to say a big: THANK YOU! To "Star"…and I'm not so mean in the end, am I? Just kidding! ;P

Sorry if I've been so … talkative!

Now, just….ENJOY!

Yumi

**CHAPTER THREE: Shattered **

She couldn't believe it.

No, it was impossible.

Tenten raised her head to look at him, but her brown, small eyes just provided her the blurry image of something black and red.

Why? Why was she crying?

She never cried. Never since Hyuuga Neji had been hospitalized after Uchiha Sasuke's betrayal.

But now she was doing it.

She actually was committing the worse crime a kunoichi could ever commit: indulging in her emotions.

The man smiled, his callused hands caressing her wet cheeks and wiping her tears.

"Oh my, my…why are you crying?" he asked, leaning towards her "Am I that bad even for an ANBU, _Tenten_?"

She just gasped, her small bosom shaken by a faint sob.

No words or thoughts or motions came to her mind.

She just felt…

Empty.

As empty as she had never been.

Her widened, watery orbs just kept on vaguely staring at him, her mind numbed and confused as a misty landscape. She felt intoxicated, sick, spellbound. No beams of sanity or reason managed to break through her hazy senses, throwing her in a complete darkness, far more obscure and scary than the nightly forest she was sinking in, far more cold and hard than the trunk she was pinned against.

Far more velvety and intoxicating than the sensation of his silky hair faintly brushing against her face. She almost jumped, her heart furiously racing.

It was wrong. So damn wrong she felt ashamed of herself.

But, the more she felt it was sinful and immoral, the more she wanted to feel it.

She didn't know why, but she felt like, during her entire life, she had experienced just one side of the things.

She had always saw the sun, the light, the white beams of peace and hope, and smart analysis.

It had been sun, when Hyuuga Neji kissed her, a few years before. It had been sun when they had made love in the Hyuuga mansion, until the dawn tapped at their window, reminding them of their duties. And it had been sun as well also when he told her they were not meant to be together.

But now…there was no sun. No flaring stars to enlighten her view or warm her heart up.

Now it was just cold. A sharp sensation of wintriness creeping under her skin and freezing her blood. It was like falling into an iced lake, going down and down and down: even if her eyes were directed to the tiny light of the surface, she knew she would have never reached the safeness.

She had been violated. Her every single secret had been crushed, and revealed and shattered, every single fragment wounding her as a spiky needle.

But needles usually don't aim so directly to your heart.

With that image vividly painted in her mind, Tenten shifted a bit.

No that she really thought it would have been somewhat useful, but she felt she should have fought him back, somehow. Or, at least, she should have tried.

But, as she saw him biting his lower lip and wickedly licking his teeth, her purpose simply vanished, leaving her alone once again.

Tenten shut her eyes, whimpering as he pressed himself against her.

'_If I'm doomed to be shattered and teased, at least I don't want to witness it'_ her last hint of rationality suggested.

Silence had spread around that forest, as the second darkness of her closed lids was added to the obscurity of the surroundings, and a chilly breeze began to softly blow against her skin, cooling her neck. She took a deep breath.

It was soothing.

Her heartbeat still pounded in her whole being, but this hectic rhythm had now become familiar.

Basically, she had to clutch onto something, right? She let out a sigh, stretching against the wood.

But, as a clear sky often gets broken by a sudden thunder, Tenten's vague and frail quietness got shattered the moment her cooled skin registered the sensation of something hot and wet tracing the line of her neck. Her eyes immediately flew open, the icy breeze making her shiver.

Or, maybe it wasn't quite the breeze…

In fact, Itachi was now completely pressed against her – and he was actually kissing her neck.

Tenten wailed. Her breath became huffed, her bosom moving up and down frantically. Her hands automatically went up again, but they soon ended up in a senseless motion, collapsing again along her hips as they really weren't part of her body.

It was incredible.

Her mouth just hung opened and she stayed there, as if time and space had now twirled and melted with every flick of Itachi's tongue on her pale casing.

How could it be possible? How could her entire life completely depend on his ministrations?

She felt so powerless, so inadequate. She had always strongly believed one's ability depended on training, will and study. If you studied intensely, you could have been mathematically sure not be caught off guard in any possible situation.

Or, at least, that's what Tenten thought.

Why that logical principle wasn't now working? She had graduated at the Academy. She successfully passed the Chuunin selection when she was 14 and she became Jounin at the age of 16. And two years later she joined the ANBU corps. Her career was perfect. And yet, why weren't her beliefs right? Why did they betray and dump her in the moment she needed them the most?

She tried to shift away, her body trembling and her limbs moving heavily. But her attempt miserably failed, and Itachi's hand moved behind her head, sinking in her hair and stroking them as he pushed her towards him.

It was like being forcefully dragged to a point of no return. She was able to see the abyss and she knew it was slowly swallowing her in.

It was sudden, unexpected, unpredicted.

Her throat vibrated as she tried to force a cry out of her mouth. But just a small, white cloud escaped her lips and collided with the wintry air as a long, hurting moan reverberated in the forest.

A nightly bird chirped.

Then, all she really sensed, was Itachi's chuckle against her neck.

"You really are astounding…" he stated coldly, parting from her skin with a last, lustful kiss and cupping her face with one of his hands. "You've always been a quite interesting person to observe, Tenten, but lately you've been even more fascinating." He moved her head up, biting his lips as he took a glance of her slender features. She didn't move, even if her mind bid her to. "Mmmmmhhhh… such a cute face…You were a beautiful child, too but I must admit you grew up even better…" he paused, apparently concerned. "Other girls as Sakura, or Ino or the Hyuuga's heiress, Hinata-sama sometimes were probably cuter than you." He smirked. "But they lacked a really important thing you have…." He leant in closer, his breath heating her ear. " It's personality, Tenten…_personality…_" he hissed the last word letter by letter.

Tenten shut her eyes again trying to pull away from him and ending up struggling in his iron grip.

She faintly suppressed the urge to shiver "H-how did you know? I was only 9 when you betrayed our village" she managed to spit out.

He broke out in a hoarse laugh, his free hand arranging the rebellious locks about his forehead.

"Oh, my….such an unspoiled innocence! Yes, you're right, you just were 9. But do you really think I completely disappeared after that, washing my hands of the village? I know everything, about the village, _Tenten_. I know how many of you failed the Chuunin or Jounin selections, I know how many died and how and when, I know how many kunoichi there are and what are their assignments. You villagers are now like a beautiful game to play." He smiled wickedly. "I just observe and laugh at your utter stupidity. Just like I did comfortably sitting on the village's walls when you got attacked by the Sand…"

Tenten gasped, her eyes becoming red as the wintry wind dried away her tears.

"You…" she started, trembling "You…you knew and you did nothing…"

She tried to scowl, but she barely managed to look sorrowful and even more confused.

Itachi laughed again "I'm a criminal, Tenten. What do you expect of a criminal? I killed my own clan-members, not caring about them. How could I care about "the village"?" he sighed, shaking his head. "You always tend to think abstractly. "The village", "the clan", "the family"… but what does those words really mean? Nothing. You just deceive yourself, denying the truth and thinking that the ineptitude of a single man can be repaired by the "strength" of the group" he smiled, looking at her in the eyes "Single beings make the difference, Tenten." He licked his lips "Remember that"

She looked at him, his sharp but obvious words echoing in her void head.

Suddenly, memories of some pictures began to race into her mind, stealing a harsh gasp from her lips. She had never thought such pictures could have affected her like that: in the end, they were nothing but paper-printed images, right? But, as her fingers had lazily turned the pages of the "Uchiha Massacre Report" and those photographs had slipped on the floor, revealing images of hundreds of bloody corpses laying on the ground of the estate, her eyes immediately went wide, a rush of surprise and disgust hit her mind.

Yes, she had already read the entire report a couple of times, and, honestly, the written analysis of the events had been even more detailed and harsh than the pictures themselves, but…

Seeing them was totally different. A whole, diverse sensation.

She had finally saw the cruelty, the roughness and the utter perfection of that crime.

Every single object, in that scenes, seemed to have a precise place and a deep meaning.

Nothing had been left at the mercy of Fate as if…

As if Uchiha Itachi himself was the Fate.

As those thoughts had filled her mind, Tenten had simply shivered and closed the report.

But now…Now that he was in front of her, how could she "close the report" and walk away?

Fear filled again her being as the cold air did with her lungs.

She felt it.

Now she was completely lost, oscillating as a small leaf in the icy breeze.

Then, everything rolled and stretched, spiralling to the highest verge.

In a blink of an eye Itachi's mouth was on hers, his tongue seductively slipping inside and tracing intricate patterns on her palate.

She had no time to be bewildered or shocked. As soon as she gasped, and her arms automatically wrapped around his neck, in fact, it was already gone.

Tenten forcefully closed her eyes, then opened them again.

She was alone. Her hand reached for her lips, as if she was looking for a reassurance in some hints of heat still lingering on her skin. But she found nothing like that.

She sighed, than jumped off the tree.

She landed on her feet, her hands placed on her ground for support.

She gave a look at her surroundings.

Nothing.

' _Could it be…a dream?' _she absentmindedly thought, dusting herself.

But, once again, her mind was hit by something: a hoarse, harsh laugh spread in the forest.

Then, it went all silent.


	5. Epilogue

Heyaz!

This story is finally complete!

As you all know, I'm planning to write a sequel. Ok, I still have about 15 works to carry on and complete, but be confident. Sooner or later I'll start it, too.

Ok, some news:

44 reviews, which means the average of 11 reviews per chapter.

Almost 1300 hits.

THANKS A LOT!

Dedicated: to all of you! I love you all and, please, check my other works.

Yumi-chan

**Epilogue: Back to the Camp.**

Tenten's eyes widened in shock and she stopped dead in her tracks, her mouth gasping for air as the last ricochets of that husky laughter still reverberated in the cold air.

The forest was silent, except for the melancholy, nightly birds chirping their sad melodies. A wintry, harsh breeze stroked Tenten's sweaty skin, slightly messing her perfect hairdo.

No thoughts or feelings passed through her void mind, apart from the vague sensation of being part of a twisted dream.

'_Let's rephrase, Tenten: of HIS twisted dream.'_

Her breath was still fatigued and harsh, her limbs sustaining her body but still a bit shaky. She looked again at her surroundings.

How many minutes had passed since she first arrived there? How many hours?

The sun had now completely set and pale, silver stars dominated the black, cloud-patched sky.

Tenten tentatively moved a bit forwards, rotten leaves resounding under her unconfident steps.

'_Come on, Tenten! Don't be such a baby over this…Whatever it could have been, it's all over, now…'_

Yes, sure, but …

…what the hell had that been?

Truth to be told, it was quite difficult for an experienced kunoichi to rationally describe an event lingering between a dream and a sensorial illusion.

She had never been cut off for irrational, out-of-the-world situations.

Never.

Asking Tenten to leave her soothing rationality behind for a moment was like asking a star to shine in the middle of a lake.

It would have probably smoothed her flame and reduced all of her being to a handful of ashes and smoke.

The kunoichi sighed, not finding any proper mental category to bury that…"fact" in.

She bent down on her knees, absentmindedly grabbing her ANBU mask. The object was wet and dirty. Small pieces of rotten leaves and mud tainting that white pureness.

'_Thanks God, I didn't end up like this… I mean, he could have…'_ she thought as she dried her mask against her ANBU uniform. _'He could have nothing Tenten. Please, you're a woman, regain your composure!'_

She put on her disguise, slightly shivering as the coldness of the woody object came in touch with her flushed and heated skin.

Shivering.

Small, little tremors running down her spine.

It was the same way she felt when…

'_Oh gosh, Tenten, please! You can't be affected like this!'_

"You can't be affected like this…"

Easy to say, impossible to do.

Not when all your certainties had been crushed and melted as an icy statue in summer.

And not when your body had totally disconnected from your mind showing you feelings you weren't aware to feel – or at least, you _forgot_ you were able to.

So, on a second, more careful analysis of the entire matter the point was: why did she not manage to at least_ react_ to all the things he did and said?

Tenten sighed, her warm breath crushing into a little, white cloud into the nightly air. Then, with a high jump on a nearby branch she started heading back to their camp.

'_They must be worried...'_ she sighed again _'And I must make up a good excuse for my long absence…'_

But finding a good pretext to hide her involuntary… "private contacts"? – yeah, that was the most appropriate definition – with Uchiha Itachi wasn't her major concern, since lots of different thoughts and emotions had now begun to flow again through her confused mind.

Why did things turn out like that?

That was a good question.

Surely, she couldn't blame all on the fact it had actually been Uchiha Itachi to pin her against a tree and…

A fierce blush tinted Tenten's cheeks as small fragments of emotions and feelings slowly intoxicated her being, forcing her to stop and try to breathe properly.

How many….years had passed since she last felt that way?

How many missions, sensations, pieces of life had she experienced?

Was she still so… stupid? Frail? A woman?

Had all her efforts to build up a solid and stolid character been vain?

It was curious how a matter of a few hours could manage to destroy all the beliefs of a lifetime.

Maybe she had been too strict to herself in the past, or maybe she was too young to understand that, in the end, you always have to face your feelings – no matter how rational and straight you intend to be. But still, the fact she had surrendered like that, blazed like liquid fire in her soul.

She frowned under her mask, bushes and trees passing by her sides in a confused mess of colours and sounds.

And, probably, the fact that was hurting her the most, was that, even for a few, insignificant seconds, she felt…good?

Well, in that confused knot of feelings, fears and sensations that experience had shot through her veins, was rather difficult to distinguish and isolate a single emotion, but, even in that sensorial mess, she could swear it had been…pleasure?

'_No way, Tenten, no way! You're…hallucinating!'_

But she would never admit that to herself.

Not even if the word "pleasure" would have appeared written on her skin.

A stranger made her feel like that. A complete stranger achieved what not even Hyuuga Neji managed to do, back then.

'_Tenten, that's craziness! Compl-'_

"Heya, Tenten! You're here at least!"

But her mind was suddenly brought to reality by a chirping, acute voice. She looked around, noticing she had finally reached the clearing where they had set their camp.

The girl raised a brow under her mask, sighing.

"Yo, Ino. Yeah, I'm back."

Another voice came from behind her.

"And why did it take you so long to complete a simple checking of the area?"

Tenten turned around, bowing in front of her Captain. Then, she paused for a moment, cautiously pondering her words.

'_Because I've been almost raped by Uchiha Itachi'_

No, she surely couldn't tell them that.

"Ehmmm…" she started "Nara-taichou, I …"

"At least let her sit, Shikamaru!" Ino whacked him on the head, gaining another of his usual "Women, so troublesome".

"She is right, Taichou!" Kiba's voice joined the little discussion, followed by a couple of barks "Even Akamaru thinks she looks tired!"

Tenten silently thanked her mates for giving her some seconds more to think about the whole matter. She sat down in front of a tree, her palms slowly – nervously? – massaging her knees.

"So" the Captain went on "Did you spot _him_?"

She gulped, squeezing her eyes for a second "No, I didn't. We should be safe tonight"

"Very good!" irrupted the dogs-master.

Shikamaru sighed "And so? Why are you so late?"

"Because…" she started again, absentmindedly drawing back. But, as soon as her back touched the trunk, a fast series of flashbacks and emotions shot through her bring, labouring her breath.

'_C'mon, Tenten! Make up something!'_

"Because?" Ino asked, sitting next to her.

"Because I…" Tenten close her eyes, then sighed, tilting her head backwards. "Because I met some kids. They were trying to start a fire and spend the night in the forest, but I convinced them to go home…"

"Good job, then…geez, was it so troublesome to tell us right on the spot?"

But, as she opened her eyes again, a dreadful view made her blood freeze in her veins.

Half-hidden among the foliage, two red, bloody irises were staring at her.

**-o-O-o- OWARI -o-O-o-**


End file.
